


running out

by 2kids



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bad Parenting, Drunken Shenanigans, Fluff and Angst, Hangover, M/M, Roommates, Slow Burn, Song Lyrics, enemies to lovers (kinda), jungwoo im sorry i treated you like shit but someone had to be the blond bimbo, mark's mom i hate you lmao, music major donghyuck.... thats all im gonna say, oh also hyuck is a gg stan and we respect him for that, slowburnish.... dont judge me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 05:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21113372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2kids/pseuds/2kids
Summary: donghyuck has a liking for sarcasm, pop music and being a terrible roommate.or, mark realizes his feelings too late.





	running out

**Author's Note:**

> i have been working on this fic for almost five months that it's such a relief to post it at last,,  

> 
> (trigger warnings for implied sexual harassment, graphic depictions of nausea & vomiting)

_Seollenda me likey, me likey likey likey, me like_-

Mark has patience thinner than a piece of wax paper by this hour, makes sense considering it’s 2 am.

So it’s no surprise he rushes out of his room to the one across. “Donghyuck!” Mark yells as his hand hits the locked door with a _thump_. “Will you for once use your earphones and let me rest?”

Music stops, making Mark thankful- he doesn’t think he could stand hearing Likey all the way through once more. “What about _you_ use your own damn earphones and leave me alone?”

“I would.” Mark rolls his eyes behind the door. “If only you didn’t listen on full volume.”

Donghyuck opens the door with a soft _click_, revealing his familiar face behind the frame- messed up ginger brown hair, bronze skin, and a golden lip ring that Mark still can’t know if it’s a real piercing after three months of living together. “I warned you about that before you moved in. If you have complaints, move out.”

“Wow, real nice.” Mark pulls a wry face. _It isn’t like I have anywhere else to go_. “All I’m saying is… turn down the volume a bit, at least? Please?”

Donghyuck’s expression is unreadable. “…Fine.”

That’s all he says before closing the door right into Mark’s face and leaves him startled for a second. Mark, though with the need to swear on the tip of his tongue, walks back right into his room. Trying to talk Donghyuck out of something was a mistake, that’s for sure.

Mark hasn’t made many mistakes through all nineteen years of his life to start with but right now he questions a couple of them- all thanks to Lee Donghyuck, a music major and Mark’s dear housemate.

Moving from Canada to South Korea with the excuse being ‘wanting to reconnect with his roots’ but in fact just wanting to get away from his family. Applying to the first ad about wanting a housemate by someone from his own college. And lastly, not buying better headphones. These might be the only mistakes Mark’s made.

Okay, fair enough, Donghyuck isn’t that bad. He’s not _evil,_ at least. He just has the inability to answer anything without adding a dash of sarcasm to it and enjoys playing terrible bubblegum pop songs at full volume. Donghyuck claims it’s for the ‘creative process’ of his as a musician, which Mark can’t understand as a history major.

(This is the main argument of most of their fights. Donghyuck claims history is boring, Mark defends that it _can _be fun while making music really just kills time which throws Donghyuck off and even he doesn’t believe what he says. Art people and science people really don’t get along, huh?)

Mark thinks they would get along if only Donghyuck didn’t act this annoying, but Mark doesn’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. Donghyuck _hates_ him, simple as that.

…Right?

The next morning Mark is able to drag his feet to class only with the power of anime and god on his side. For real, he has not a damn idea how he ended up there- the last thing he remembers is falling out of bed with a terrible headache, thanks Donghyuck. Now he’s somehow sitting at his usual desk, grumbling. That’s when a coffee cup slides into his vision.

“Wakey wakey!” chimes a Jungwoo too bright for this early in the morning and Mark’s eye twitches. “It’s morning already idiot, stop napping. You have no reason to be grandpa level grumpy.”

Mark groans but still takes the cup. “I’m a vampire and I hate sunlight, how’s that sounding?”

Jungwoo coos, pinching Mark’s cheek only to get his hand slapped away. “You’re too cute to be a vampire, though!”

“Edward Cullen was also pretty cute, I gotta say.” Mark rolls his eyes at Jungwoo’s usual flirting. Not that he hates it but it’s not the most comfortable feeling either. Jungwoo’s his friend, he can’t just tell him to stop either. He sucks it up.

“If you’re into stoic looking white men, sure thing.” Jungwoo hides a grin behind his own coffee cup. “Not my thing.”

Before Mark can stop himself a sentence rolls out of his lips. “Then what are _you _into?”

Jungwoo shoots him a smirk and Mark looks away, blushing. “Oh, wouldn’t you wanna know?”

“Definitely not.” Mark is way more flustered than he’d like to admit as he says. He shifts in his seat again until he’s able to speak again. “Ugh, my head hurts so much. Can Donghyuck stop playing music until the dead of the night? Fuck his creative process, dude!”

Much to Jungwoo’s liking, the distasteful look that settles on his face as Mark mentions Donghyuck goes without notice. “You tried talking to him?”

“Have you _met_ Donghyuck?” Mark closes his eyes, rubbing at his temples. “He’s impossible. If I try talking again he’ll probably slap me in the face.” _And I’d probably enjoy it- no, wait, what the fuck did I just say?_

“How did you even stand him for that long?” Jungwoo rests his chin on his hand.

Mark chuckles briefly. “It’s been just three months, c’mon. And he’s not that intolerable, just… kinda annoying.”

“That’s what they say about almost anyone shitty.” Jungwoo rolls his eyes. “You know, if you ever need a place I and Jaehyun’s place has an empty room.”

Mark should be happy for that offer, shouldn’t he? That’s what you’re supposed to feel when your friend offers you to come live with him because come on, that’s your _friend_. But for some reason Mark’s stomach stirs with an uneasy feeling as he swallows down thickly. “Uh, I’ll pass. I’m good.”

“Your call!” Jungwoo says in a cheerful tone and starts settling his stuff onto the desk as the professor comes in.

Mark sighs with relief. He doesn’t have to talk to Jungwoo anymore at least… again, Mark doesn’t hate it but it’s not the most comfortable feeling on earth either. He doesn’t like how Jungwoo tries to imply that Donghyuck’s a worse person than he is and how someone else -Jungwoo- would be better than him… at god knows what area.

(Mark _is_ oddly attached to Donghyuck, that’s the truth. He won’t admit though. Not in hell.)

The rest of the class is a blur.

Johnny’s loud voice makes Mark’s eye twitch on the way to his apartment. Fair enough, Mark isn’t listening at all because by this point he’s aware half of what Johnny says are exaggerated stories and the other half are things his other friends have lived. Mark can’t put his earphones in for the sake of manners, he loves Johnny and he’s glad the man is kind enough to give him a ride instead of letting him take the subway… but he’s _loud_.

“So, is the plan still on?” Johnny asks as Mark steps out of the car.

Mark scratches his nape. “I… think. Bars aren’t really my scene but I’ll come if I won’t have extra work to do.”

Johnny nods, waving. “Okay, see ya then!”

“Yeah, yeah, bye.” Mark drags his feet to the stairs, weary.

Ironic enough, Mark hates spending the night at the apartment.

After all those months of living together, Mark still knows a fair nothing about Donghyuck and he doubts Donghyuck knows him any better. The reason is simple. They almost never talk unless it’s about something necessary, like deciding who takes out the trash that day. When it’s night both of them simply go to their own corners in utter silence doing whatever they want to. The silence is so thick that Mark wants to scratch it off his skin, it’s suffocating.

And tonight is no different.

The only sound in the apartment is a faint guitar coming from the living room, perks of rooming with an artist. Donghyuck has mentioned– not to Mark, to someone on the phone- that he’s working on a full performance for the end of the term so Mark is used to finding him hunched over the dining table with his guitar. No complaints, he’s a great player and makes Mark wish he didn’t drop playing back at sixth grade.

Mark tosses his backpack into his room not looking at where it flew and walks into kitchen after taking his jacket off. The very Canadian Mark shouldn’t be this bothered by the cold yet he is, so a cup of hot chocolate is necessary every night. Due to their apartment being small, the living room and kitchen occupy the same area so Mark spots Donghyuck right away. There he is at the table again, posture making Mark’s eye twitch.

“Hello,” Mark mumbles while on the search for his mug, not expecting a reply.

“You’re late?” Donghyuck’s voice is faint and his tone comes off so uncertain that Mark debates if he hallucinated it.

He turns his upper body towards his roommate then. “I was out with some friends.”

Donghyuck still doesn’t drop his pen nor lifts his gaze from the sheet in front of him. “Oh, makes sense. I didn’t consider that since you usually come pretty early.”

“Yeah, it’s not… usual.” Mark’s stomach churns. Not uncomfortably, but it does. He never thought that Donghyuck pays enough attention to him to know when he comes home at all. Donghyuck usually keeps to himself by his room unless he occupies the living room, and he’s in his room most of times when Mark enters the apartment. Why does he know?

Silence ensues for a moment until Donghyuck raises his head. “Would you mind telling me when you’re going to be late? I cooked for both of us but you were late, so…”

Okay, Mark is certain an alien kidnapped his roommate. They eat at the campus before coming, so what’s the deal now? “You cooked?”

“I’m full of surprises.” Donghyuck breaks into one of his tiny smiles. “Come on, I raised four younger siblings with a working parent, of course I know how to.”

“Four?” Mark reaches for the kettle he turned on a while ago as he laughs. “Damn, I just have an older brother… Minhyuk _is _more childish than me, though. I feel you.”

Donghyuck’s grin widens. “Try twin sisters. Haneul and Hana were the most annoying toddlers you can come across. Now they’re the most annoying middle schoolers. The amount of cheap pink dresses and plastic tiaras we have is horrifying.”

“You should’ve seen Minhyuk’s emo phase.” Mark shakes his head and reaches for another mug. “I’ll never look at black nail polish the same way.”

“I know that pain too. My eldest sister Heeju- yes, I only have sisters- went through hers two years ago. It was a mess. At least Hyejung was a normal kid.” Donghyuck’s eyes aren’t focusing anymore, it’s clear he’s off thinking of something else. Memories.

Mark can’t help himself. “Did your parents go through a ‘naming all the kids with the first letter H’ phase after you were born?”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Did your parents go through a have all your kids dumbasses phase?”

And here is the Donghyuck Mark knows. Even his stance changed in that one second between the exchange, his shoulders went from slumped to tense first. He’s for certain sitting straighter now and the way he crosses his arms isn’t letting anyone, especially Mark, behind his walls.

“Probably,” mutters Mark before turning back to his mug with a heavy feeling in his chest. Why does Donghyuck have to be this closed off? If Mark didn’t suck at being social it would be easier but he isn’t and neither is Donghyuck, and now they’re sentenced to sit in a tiny room in utter _fucking _silence.

Two hours later, when Mark is finishing his exceedingly boring reading, Donghyuck stands up without a word and leaves a startled Mark behind to retreat to his room. The slam of the door makes Mark flinch again. What makes it worse is the way a song plays on the highest volume possible a minute later. And of course it’s I Got A Boy by Girls’ Generation. Only Donghyuck would play EDM music at this hour just in spite of his roommate.

_There and back again, _Mark muses as he shuffles to his room too.

A couple of hours later Mark wakes up to the sound of… well, nothing. He’s so used to loud music playing at all hours by now that the lack of it bothers more than its existence. His half-awake half dreaming brain isn’t thinking coherently- or thinking at all, frankly. Naturally, Mark drags his feet out of the bed towards the door, then the hall.

He didn’t expect to find Donghyuck rushing around the room in a frenzy, that’s for sure.

“What’s going on?” Mark blurts out as he lifts a hand to rub at his dry eyes. If he was able to think he’d know it wasn’t a good idea but he isn’t.

Donghyuck’s head perks up where he’s busy throwing around pillows off the couch. “Did you see my sheets?”

Mark blinks once. Twice. “Your what?”

“My sheets!” Donghyuck runs his fingers through his hair, gripping at the roots. “I spent the month arranging it- it was here just this evening… I can’t lose it! I have to hand it in tomorrow too, I can’t do-”

There must be a god of idiotic decisions leading Mark through all his life, because that’s precisely what he chooses to do; something idiotic. “Hey, calm down, we’ll figure something out-”

“-_you don’t get it!_” Donghyuck clenches a fist around yet another pillow, throwing it across the room in anger. “They… matter. So much…”

Mark’s sleepy mind isn’t the best at comprehending and maybe that’s a good thing. “We’ll find them, okay? Relax. Take a deep breath,” He suggests in the softest voice he has. It probably sounds like sandpaper though.

“Fuck your deep breaths,” Donghyuck snorts but still does it, a true surprise to Mark. He inhales between his clenched teeth and exhales sharply until his shoulders aren’t as tense as before.

“Better?” Mark tilts his head without noticing.

Donghyuck crosses his arms, looking away with a stubborn gaze. “Kind of.”

“Let’s search around.” Mark rubs his eyes once more before following his dumb decision to search around an already clear room. _What’s so important about those papers? He can rewrite? _

Odd enough, it takes Mark two minutes to spot the papers in front of the large window.

Before he can even check what’s on them Donghyuck’s beside Mark, yanking the sheets away and hugging them to his chest for dear life.

Again, all Mark does is to blink. “Yeah, uh, here they are.”

Donghyuck nods, eyes clouded with thoughts, saying not a single word.

That’s Mark’s cue. He spins on his heels to head towards his room without any expectation for a reply. Or anything at all. He knows Donghyuck, Donghyuck is secretive enough to make Mark help searching at 3 am but say nothing about the contents of the papers. That’s how they work. Mark shakes his head to clear the thoughts off, hand pushing the door open.

“Mark?”

He stops right then. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Caught off guard, Mark looks back to him and… Donghyuck is smiling. The biggest smile Mark has gotten from him in all those months of living together. Not a grin, not a cocky smirk, nothing like any Mark has seen. This one has Donghyuck’s lips pressed together and curled on the sides naturally in a way Mark would call shy if he didn’t know Donghyuck, Donghyuck never got shy. Even his lip ring looks natural. A smile big enough to show Donghyuck’s dimple… hell, Mark didn’t even know Donghyuck has one. It’s tiny but there and adorns Donghyuck’s shy smile perfectly.

Mark doesn’t have an explanation for the warm giddy feeling in his chest as he settles back in his bed.

(He spends the next day thinking about a certain smile and a certain dimple that belongs to a certain boy that Mark _totally _doesn’t have a crush on.)

Mark takes a week to realize he, in fact, does have a crush on Donghyuck.

The breaking point for sure is whatever that happened that night. Mark was too exhausted back then to remember the details but the image of Donghyuck smiling shyly is engraved behind his eyelids. Mark wholeheartedly believes that night is the first and only time he’s seen Donghyuck under the act he puts on and that’s probably it.

Who _wouldn’t _crush on Donghyuck, though? While he’s not the Jaehyun type of classic handsome one can’t deny that he looks like a god, no less. Mark _is_ being creepy watching him probably, but he can’t take his eyes off whenever he sees Donghyuck glowing under the sun like it’s his own spotlight. It doesn’t end there, whenever Mark hears even a ghost of Donghyuck’s laughter- which is reserved for people that aren’t Mark- his stomach does a flip like he swallowed down an entire team of cheerleaders. Weird metaphor, but it works. The times Mark catches Donghyuck humming along to a song that isn’t bubblegum pop for once are worth the whole word in his eyes, just because Mark can see his passion for music.

The thing is, everyone and their mothers including Mark is convinced Donghyuck loathes him. Donghyuck ignores him the second they step out of the apartment, whenever they come across each other Donghyuck slips past Mark as if Mark is invisible. The nights haven’t changed either, they have maybe a few minutes of small talk and then the same old shit: Donghyuck’s loud music, Mark getting annoyed, fight. Repeat. None of this changes how Mark feels like he’s running out of breath whenever he catches Donghyuck staring, especially with a smile on.

So yeah, Mark is whipped.

His friends aren’t near as excited for him, though.

“You _what?_”

Mark winces, looking around the campus cafeteria to ensure no one heard Johnny’s outburst. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”

Johnny still doesn’t look convinced. “Whatever you say… but Mark, didn’t you say he hates you?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Mark throws his hands up in surrender. “I just wanted advice, you dick. Yes, I like my roommate. No, I don’t know if he hates me or something. Yes, I feel like shit. Any more questions?”

Johnny falls silent as he crosses his arms, looking down at his empty plate.

Mark doesn’t notice the glare Jungwoo has on.

It’s the poor sweet Jaehyun who attempts breaking the silence. “What are you gonna do, then?”

“Not a single fucking idea,” sighs Mark in exhaustion. “I’ll… leave it to time. He’ll never like me back and I’ll… forget him.” He won’t forget and Mark knows it.

“Okay, stop being so… negative!” Jungwoo claps his hands to get the attention on himself. “Are we still going out tomorrow night?”

Johnny, Jaehyun, and Mark all share a single look, the _I want to say no but can’t say no to Jungwoo_ one.

Jaehyun sighs very, very loudly. “…yup, we are. We planned that long ago.”

“Okay, good!” Jungwoo is beaming. “I’ll pick Mark up, you two can come alone right? We’ll meet at the club.”

“Wait, why…” Mark does his best to not seem too confused. “I can come myself too?”

Jungwoo winks and Mark’s stomach churns. “Because I want to pick you up. And you won’t say no to me.”

It hurts to admit that Jungwoo is right but the times he’s wrong are incredibly rare, anyway. “Yeah, I won’t.” The amount of problems Mark wouldn’t have now if he could say no to Jungwoo is an astonishing one.

As Jungwoo gets up and walks away to god knows where, Mark can’t shake the feeling of having signed a deal with the devil.

Johnny leaves next just to grab a coffee and all that’s left is a worried Jaehyun watching Mark. “Just spill,” says Mark in a tired voice.

“I don’t feel like Johnny in this.” Jaehyun is chewing his lip like he always does when he’s thoughtful. “I don’t think this… thing will end badly, you know? I can see how much you like him even if _you _won’t admit it. If that’s the way… I just know you’ll be happy. So, god, this is gonna be so cliché but… follow your heart.”

Mark lets out a dry laughter. “Since when do you read fortune cookies, Jae?”

Jaehyun sighs for the nth time that day. “One of us has to be positive.”

“Thanks, in that case,” Mark laughs again. “I think I’ll leave it to time, as in… I need to think. To see what I should do… should I tell him or not.”

“Tomorrow is a good chance then, you’ll get to relax a bit.” Jaehyun seems too relaxed to be commenting on how stressed Mark is.

Mark nods, swallowing down the rest of his coffee. “I hope so too.”

When the time comes, though, Mark feels anything but relaxed. His entire body is shaking with unease he has no idea about the source of. His stomach is again doing those damn flips as if to roll out of Mark’s mouth and his hands are disgustingly sweaty.

Mark considers giving up on the last minute, telling the guys he’s sick and it wouldn’t be a lie because Mark does feel like shit. But he can’t, because Jungwoo’s car is pulling up in front of the apartment. A small voice inside Mark’s head reminds him that Donghyuck isn’t there, he won’t know that Mark left, so shouldn’t Mark do something about it?

He doesn’t. He dismisses the voice and calls it a day as he goes down the stairs. _No Donghyuck tonight. This is Mark time. _

(Donghyuck doesn’t leave his mind a single moment.)

Way past midnight, Mark manages to somehow go up the stairs once Jungwoo drops him off in front of the apartment. Refusing his offers –staying at Jungwoo’s house or Jungwoo coming to stay with Mark- he struggles to the front door and his clumsy hands dig into his pockets for the keys. Four attempts are enough to shove it into the keyhole. This isn’t the smartest thing Mark could do, someone with more common sense would take up on Jungwoo’s offers but Mark’s mind is too full with Donghyuck to function. He can’t stay over because Donghyuck will worry then –least, he hopes so- and he can’t invite Jungwoo in because then Donghyuck will be mad. No matter how dumb, this is Mark’s best choice.

It’s definitely too late for Mark to be this noisy, about 3 or 4 am but who knows really? Donghyuck must be asleep and Mark’s headache throbs to imagine Donghyuck’s damn high pitched voice whining about getting woken up. But Mark, being this shitfaced for the first time in his life, has no idea how to handle the amount of alcohol in his system. All he’s able to do is to not knock over anything as he staggers to his room.

Something stops Mark in his tracks then. At first he doesn’t understand where this faint sound of music coming from- maybe it’s his drunk mind betraying him? But there’s light gliding below Donghyuck’s door and before he knows it, Mark is in front of it.

The sound is much clearer now. Mark’s mouth hangs open and warmth spreads through his veins as he listens, eyes screwing shut. Through the months of staying there Mark has never heard Donghyuck sing, it hits only then how little sense it makes. Donghyuck’s a music major that composes his own songs, how could Mark assume Donghyuck doesn’t sing them too? And coming to think of it, even Donghyuck’s speaking voice is nice to hear –yes, Mark _was_ calling it annoying a minute ago. How come has Mark never heard Donghyuck practice? That’s what his semi frozen mind is pondering about. They live together, Mark must have heard it before but no, he never did. He huddles closer without realizing.

Donghyuck’s voice is so sweet, so unbelievably sweet but it doesn’t flow like honey as one would expect. There’s a sharp edge to it, some roughness that cuts through Mark’s heart with ease. It’s no different than a golden blade wrapped in gem spangled silk and satin; a radiant beauty that can still slice through. Mark can’t get enough of it.

He sings low at first, as if he’s afraid of being heard by the rest of the world and is whispering into someone’s ear, his voice gains strength as he goes along. Shivers travel through Mark’s spine to realize just how strong Donghyuck’s voice is, it holds so much power to be unleashed.

Only as Donghyuck begins a powerful note Mark starts paying attention to what he’s saying. Even Mark who was never too into music or singing can tell the tint of sadness and pain that rings along with Donghyuck’s voice and the words just add up to it.

_I’ve thought of you like this_

_But if you don’t feel the same_

_You just need to tell me ‘I’m sorry’ and I’ll be fine_

_I like you_

_I tried holding it back but I can’t anymore_

_Now I can tell you that I want to love you*_

Mark’s stomach drops –might be the amount of beer he has in it- as he processes the words. Donghyuck likes someone? It’s not like Mark is an expert on why one would write songs but you wouldn’t just sing about confessing your love to someone if you don’t at least have a crush, right? God, Mark hates this feeling so much, hates the ugly tingling that crawls under his skin and crushes his heart. The thought of Donghyuck smiling at someone with _that_ smile which shows his little dimple, Donghyuck being in someone else’s arms and holding them, Donghyuck kissing someone- they all make him want to throw up. Mark can’t accept it. He can’t, not unless that someone is him.

Still all dizzy, Mark doesn’t linger much on what he feels and tries to back away from the door. He’s clearly witnessing a private thing for Donghyuck that he shouldn’t be. If Donghyuck wanted Mark to hear his singing he would have sung somewhere Mark could hear ages ago. Mark isn’t supposed to be hearing this.

Damn his luck, Mark stumbles onto the bad left on the ground and a second later he hits the ground with a loud _thump_. Donghyuck’s guitar stops, silence cutting through the air. Mark struggles to sit up then stand on his wobbly legs. _He’s gonna kill me. _

Donghyuck bursts out of the door he pushes open, gaze piercing Mark. “How much did you hear?”

Mark swallows. “Nothing… I just came back.”

Donghyuck doesn’t seem catch the lie. “Good… you alright there?”

“Huh?” Mark slurs the next words. “Yeah, d-definitely fine… why wouldn’t I- I be?”

Mark isn’t even sure if he spoke in Korean completely, but Donghyuck seems to understand. “You dumbass.”

All Mark does is to swallow as he waits. Donghyuck does have a point, it’s not the smartest move he could pull to get absolutely wasted.

Donghyuck walks closer and pulls Mark to himself with one arm sneaking around Mark’s waist. “Let’s get you into the shower.”

“What?” Mark tries to push Donghyuck’s arm away. It’s dumb and he knows it but he isn’t ready for Donghyuck to see him… well, naked.

“I’ll push you in if you protest.” Donghyuck’s expression is as solid as a rock, Mark can’t get through it. “Full offense but you smell like a trash can more than you do usually, and it’ll help you get yourself together for sure.”

Mark shakes his head weakly. “I… I don’t think I can stand up for that long.” It’s a weak excuse but what else does Mark have? And it’s true that he’s too nauseous to do so.

Donghyuck weighs his words for a moment. “Then, bed.”

Mark doesn’t protest anymore as Donghyuck helps him to his feet. Especially because Donghyuck radiates heat and even though being drunk keeps Mark’s body warm, it’s still cold outside so he appreciates it. Mark lays his own arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders, trying to not lean on too much. Donghyuck for sure is strong but Mark doesn’t want to be a burden. Either way Mark’s limbs have a mind on their own it seems, so he ends up letting Donghyuck carry him.

Once they’re in Mark’s room Donghyuck simply throws Mark onto the bed. Mark sighs with relief as all the standing has only made his nausea worse. His forehead creases along with his eyes closing. Whatever that’s in his stomach is threatening to come up burning and Mark slaps a hand on his mouth, gagging. A plastic bottle gets pushed into his hand which Mark refuses with a gesture. He needs to get to the bathroom. Now.

He ignores Donghyuck calling out –not like Mark can pay attention to what he says- and manages to get to the bathroom before his stomach gives up. He leans over the toilet as he lets out everything in his system violently. Tears fill his eyes, he coughs and soon enough he falls to his knees- he’ll for sure have bruises there by tomorrow.

Later, Mark just isn’t able find the strength in himself to get up and leave. The bathroom reeks awfully and if Mark had anything left in his stomach he’d get up and puke them out too. He stays, though, he’s exhausted and can’t move. He keeps his forehead pressed against the cold tile surface since it helps with the headache, curled there. It’s pathetic, really, how Mark is so useless.

“Mark?”

He barely opens his eyes. It’s Donghyuck, he knows, and that embarrasses him further- why does Donghyuck have to witness Mark at his worst?

Donghyuck walks closer and kneels, reaching to brush Mark’s sweaty hair off his face. “I’d ask if you’re okay, but…”

Mark would laugh if he could. He shakes his head.

“Let’s just…” Donghyuck’s arm slides under Mark’s neck and lifts him off the floor with the other around Mark’s waist. Mark isn’t much different than a doll that has no way of moving by himself.

Donghyuck knows what to do and Mark is thankful. He first makes Mark rinse his mouth with the water he brought along –into the toilet, Mark still can’t stand up- because brushing his teeth would be too hard. Then tells Mark to drink some, sip by sip, taking his time. Once Mark’s stomach has calmed down, he gives a weak nod to Donghyuck that says he’s ready to go.

It’s hard not to feel terrible when he’s being carried like a baby –Donghyuck’s holding him bridal style, in another time Mark’s heart would flutter but not when he’s sick. Especially not when he’s sick because of his own dumbass. This time he’s let onto the bed with gentleness he sure did not expect from Donghyuck but he keeps surprising Mark every day. Isn’t that why Mark loves him?

Donghyuck for certain is… _different._ He doesn’t make a single snarky remark as he tucks Mark into the bed and places the covers over him. Mark’s dumb lover heart skips yet another beat when Donghyuck takes a paper towel and wipes the sweat off Mark’s forehead, then combs Mark’s hair with his slender fingers. Mark is this hopeless, really.

“I’m fine,” Mark whines at last halfheartedly. “You go sleep. It’s late.” He doesn’t want Donghyuck to go.

Donghyuck doesn’t bother looking up as he places a few bottles of water on the dresser. “‘Late’? You must mean ‘early’. It’s like 5 am by now.”

Guilt pits in Mark’s stomach. “I’m sorry I kept you up…”

“It was already 4 when you came, you didn’t do much.” Donghyuck shrugs, flashing a brief smile that fades too soon for Mark’s liking. “And I chose to help you myself. I could’ve slept and not given a shit but I chose this, I don’t mind staying up.”

“Yeah but you should rest.” Mark wants Donghyuck to stay, that’s true, but he also cares too much to have him staying up.

Donghyuck chuckles, patting Mark’s hand. “I can’t leave you alone. You sleep. I’ll stay. It’s two hours, anyway.”

“Donghyuck, you can’t-”

“-I can and I will.” Donghyuck’s determined glare is quick to shut Mark up. “You’re the idiot who got himself sick. You don’t have any right to speak now.”

Touché. “Why do you even care so much?” It rolls out of Mark’s tongue with its own will. “There’s no reason for you to take care of me.”

Donghyuck’s brows form a straight line. “Why are you even asking that?”

“You hate me.” Mark himself hates how he sounds like a toddler seeking attention.

“Oh my god, I don’t hate you.” Donghyuck slaps his forehead. “Mark, you’re seriously so dumb- why would I stay as your roommate if I hated you?”

Mark buries himself deeper into the bed, pulling the covers up to his nose. “I… I don’t know.”

“Exactly, and I…” Donghyuck reaches out only to hesitate, hand staying mid air. “You won’t even remember this by the morning, right?”

Mark’s poor heart beats too rapid for him to conduct an answer to this. He just stares.

Donghyuck bites his lip –how does it even feel with that lip ring? Mark is curious- as he closes the distance and again brushes Mark’s hair. “The truth is…” He whispers, he whispers so low that Mark isn’t sure if he heard the next words or he just dreamed them. “…I care about you. Deeply.”

As Donghyuck’s callous fingertips brush over his cheekbone, Mark swallows. _I care about you too_, is what he wants to say but his blood boils and his lungs aren’t working enough for him to speak. His lips tremble but no sound comes out.

At last Donghyuck yanks his hand away and holds it with the other as if it burned, lips twitching to form a strained smile as he nods. “Well… good night, Mark.”

Mark’s entire body is _aching_ with the need to tell Donghyuck that he feels the same, that he cares too but another sentence is what his traitor of a tongue forms. “Stay… stay with me? Here?”

One look at Mark and one look at how his hand pats the bed, Donghyuck gives a firm nod. “O-okay, I guess.”

The entire world could have stopped the moment Donghyuck pushes the covers up and slides his slender body under it. They lie together on their backs for a moment that feels of centuries until Donghyuck’s head turns toward Mark, enough to show that he’s speaking to Mark but also enough for him to avoid Mark’s gaze.

“Good night,” repeats Donghyuck for what, the third time? He rolls over so his back faces Mark and the urge to wrap his arms around Donghyuck’s waist conquers Mark’s mind.

_Don’t be a creep,_ he reminds himself as he mimics the movement so his back is against Donghyuck’s now. Mark closes his eyes then. He wishes he could hold onto Donghyuck and caress his hair as he sleeps but not all wishes come true, right?

_I care about you_, echoes in his mind a last time as his drunken mind drifts into a sleep made of a turmoil of odd dreams.

(Donghyuck _was_ right. Mark doesn’t remember any of it the other day.)

When Mark opens his eyes to a terrible headache and a dry throat he has near no memories of what the _fuck_ he did last night. The last thing he remembers is Jungwoo’s tempting little smirk as he offers Mark a second glass of wine knowing damn well Mark isn’t a good drinker. Trying a little more Mark can remember more- how Jungwoo pressed their bodies together on the dance floor and just how _wrong_ it felt. Mark needed an excuse to get out of there and that was getting another drink, even while doing so all he could think of was Donghyuck. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe something else, but Mark’s sensitive and _needy_ body screamed of just one person the entire time. Mark was embarrassed enough.

He rolls over and his nose digs into the pillow. The scent makes his eyes jolt open- it should be a mistake. Mark is in his room for sure so how can the pillow smell like Donghyuck? Yet it does and while Mark’s heart is about jump out of his chest, his stomach stirs in panic- did he do anything? Well, he’s clothed so that’s one thing, but…

There’s a note on the dresser and it’s easy as breathing for Mark to recognize Donghyuck’s messy letters.

‘hey dumbass, you managed to get absolutely shitfaced last night and got a bit sick so I called in sick for you, you gotta rest today. i left food for you in the fridge but if your stomach hasn’t settled yet eat the crackers. drink water too!! there are painkillers in the bathroom if you need it but don’t take more than two. i’ll check on you later and if i see you haven’t done all these you’re getting your ass kicked <3 – yours truly, asshole #1’

Mark’s panic fades. If he did anything like _that_ with Donghyuck then he wouldn’t act this comfortable, right? He wouldn’t. It must be okay. And the fact that Donghyuck cares this much makes Mark want to cry as he notices the colourful packages and plastic bottles that sit next to the note. On the chair there’s a small pile of clean clothes which definitely was not there when Mark left the dorm last night, so that also is Donghyuck’s doing. He cares more than Mark expected.

The word _care_ makes the back of his head pulsate though Mark can’t put a name to it.

He pushes himself out of the bed with a groan, his feet first meeting the carpet and his back follows. Mark winces at how useless his body is. He doesn’t have basic control over his limbs. After managing to scramble up to his feet, Mark takes his phone from where it’s charging- Donghyuck, again.

A bunch of notifications blow up once he turns it on. Mark swipes off all except the messages from Donghyuck and Jungwoo.

[21:19] donghyuck: why tf are you late again damn it

[22:35] donghyuck: you’re out with jungwoo, right?

[22:35] donghyuck: well not like i can say anything against it but

[22:36] donghyuck: at least fucking tell me next time

[01:00] donghyuck: I’m going to bed, good night.

[01:01] donghyuck: You better not do anything stupid.

Mark’s stomach twists at how angry the texts get gradually. They did talk about informing each other when they’ll be late, he understands the rage. He knows for sure that Donghyuck wasn’t asleep when he came so why the lie? Did Donghyuck try to sleep and fail? Or he simply said it to hurt Mark but why? There was no reason to do so. Sighing, Mark moves to the other series of texts.

[08:30] pikachu: hey mark

[08:30] pikachu: you’re not at class you sick or smth?

[08:31] pikachu: next time we gotta be more careful drinking lol

[08:45] pikachu: nvm your roommate told me you don’t feel good

[08:46] pikachu: imma come over later uwu <3

No reason to feel so, these texts make Mark sick. _“Your roommate”? You know his name damn well._ Mark imagines Donghyuck glaring at Jungwoo as he spits the words out –he’s sure that’s what Donghyuck did- and it’s satisfying, god knows why.

With a sudden change of heart, Mark changes Jungwoo’s contact from the nickname to his name simply before calling him.

“Hi hello!” Jungwoo’s too cheerful for someone who got wasted last night and it makes Mark’s eye twitch.

“Good morning to you too,” Mark grunts while tucking the phone between his head and his shoulder. He has to drink some coffee.

Jungwoo stops for a moment. “You good there?”

“Sure,” Mark rolls his eyes- he forgets Jungwoo can’t see it. “Except I threw up like a bitch and my head still hurts. I’m never doing that again.”

“Aw, come on… you can’t have fun without suffering a little.” It’s Jungwoo’s trying to be convincing voice, low and sweet. “Next time I’ll show you just how fun it can get. Promise I’ll make it worth.”

The suggestion in Jungwoo’s voice is clear, Mark would want to puke if he had anything in his stomach. “Yeah, about that… it’s not happening again.”

Silence. “What?”

“You heard me.” Mark watches the machine work but it’s his blood that boils. “I know what you tried to do and thank god I wasn’t drunk enough to agree. And Johnny was there to warn me.”

“I didn’t have any bad intentions!”

Mark is being unnecessarily rude, yes, he doesn’t care. “The last time I checked, trying to force your friend into having sex with you _was_ a bad thing.”

“Friend.” Jungwoo snorts. “Just friend. If you had said that before I would never even consider.”

“You know it fucking well I like someone else, don’t you?” Mark searches for his mug blindly, finding it by the clean ones. “You knew better than anyone else! What else was there to say?”

Jungwoo knows he’s losing, Mark is sure, and he’s still trying to find his way out of the bucket. “Maybe properly telling me you’re not interested in me?”

“I was clear enough!” Mark pours the coffee into the mug. “Damn it. Listen, I don’t wanna ruin our friendship but if you can’t get your head out of your ass, there isn’t much I can do.”

Jungwoo laughs but it’s hollow. “I’ll go suck Jaehyun’s dick instead, I guess.”

How the hell do you even respond to this? “Well, good luck.”

“I never need luck.”

Jungwoo hangs up and Mark just drops the phone onto the counter. He’s damn glad he got rid of this, frankly. He downs half of the coffee with that and drags his unwilling feet to the living room, settling for a long day of resting with the company of his books, highlighters and stick-it notes.

When Donghyuck comes back hours later and tired of the day, his gaze goes all over Mark as if trying to read him while handing the notes from that day. Mark has not a damn idea _what_ Donghyuck’s looking for. He doesn’t ask either.

The week passes all quiet, almost boring. Maybe because Mark does nothing other than studying- Johnny’s busy with a test, Jungwoo must be busy trying to get Jaehyun to sleep with him and Jaehyun… well, he hopefully _is _sleeping with Jungwoo, that would save Mark from a lot of trouble. Either way Mark doesn’t have anything to keep himself occupied with now that Jungwoo doesn’t pay him a second glance in the halls or classes and Donghyuck avoids him.

No matter how hurting it is to put it like this but Donghyuck sure is avoiding Mark, that’s certain. When he’s not at the campus he’s almost always at the studio –Mark didn’t even know there was a studio- or out with some guy called Jeno whom Mark never heard of before. Is it jealousy making his chest tighten? Absolutely. What does Mark do about it? Nothing.

Mark came back from grocery shopping a quarter hour ago, damn the spring rain that almost got him soaked, and now is cleaning the living room with a blank mind when his phone rings- yes, cleaning, because both he and Donghyuck are messy and someone has to; that someone clearly is not Donghyuck. So he drops the mop and takes a moment to find his phone. The contact name makes his stomach twist.

“Hello, mom.” Mark tries to sound enthusiastic. It can’t be anything good to get a call from his mother, definitely not.

Mrs. Lee sounds as disapproving as ever. “Mark. I heard what happened with your… _friends_ last Sunday.”

Mark’s face goes awry. Who ratted him out? The annoying internal voice whispers _Jungwoo_ but he doesn’t want to straight up believe in that. “I’m… uh… sorry.”

“I would never have learnt it if it wasn’t for your brother, bless his soul.” Mrs. Lee clicks her tongue. “Weren’t you going to tell me, your dear old mother, what you did?”

Mark’s brain is short circuiting. “Wait… you sent Minhyuk after me? What the hell, mom!”

“Do _not_ use that language with me, Minhyung!” She collects herself after that. “Of course I did. I needed to make sure my baby was okay.”

“You can’t just send someone to the other side of the world like that!” Mark wants to throw up. “Minhyuk had a life there! Why would you throw everything away?”

Mrs. Lee sighs. “Minhyuk had no one other than us, like you do, right my dear? He lost nothing.” Of course the hateful woman would not know of Minhyuk’s boyfriend.

Mark’s mind travels to Johnny, Jaehyun, Jungwoo… Donghyuck. “Right. Nothing.”

“That’s why I’m offering you something great,” Mrs. Lee says and the sweet tone in her voice ticks something off in Mark. “Come back home, dear. To your poor old mommy who misses you. You know you’ll get an amazing education here.”

She could just drop a bomb on Mark’s head. That would have the same effect. “Mom… I can’t-”

“You can. You will.” This is the voice Mark knows like the back of his hand, the one that will not tolerate any kind of rebelling. “I already booked your ticket.”

Panic streaming up his throat, Mark opens his mouth to ask in a shaky voice. “When…?”

“Two weeks later today.”

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred thirty six hours and god knows how many minutes.

She keeps blabbering about other things but Mark doesn’t have the strength to keep on listening. He sinks onto the couch, phone barely hanging from his fingertips.

This can’t be happening. It can’t. No matter how hard it was to make it this place is Mark’s home now and he can’t abandon it, never that easy. How is he supposed to throw away everything he’s worked tooth and nail to get? It took Mark all eighteen years of his life to get away from the place that was nothing but a lonely cage to him, he can’t go back there on his own feet like this.

But it’s still his mother, isn’t it? She wants the best for Mark, that’s why she’s doing this no matter how wrong her methods are- no. _No._ Mark, don’t be an idiot… she just wants to control him again like the puppet she always wanted him to be. Hasn’t he experienced it enough?

Mark balls his hand into a fist until the skin stretched over his knuckles is all pale white. It’s horrifying how easy she can destroy everything Mark built in so long. With just one call and a simple sentence she hung a clock over Mark’s head that’s counting the minutes down until the inevitable ending. _Tick. Tock. Time is running out._

It’s not fair! It’s not fair when there’s so much Mark is yet to do. If he starts counting now he can maybe, just maybe be done by the end of the week. Among all there’s one task blinking brighter above the others… telling Donghyuck how he feels. Even though he knows damn well that there’s no way Donghyuck has the same feelings. That it’ll break whatever that’s sprouting between them- it’s too early for Mark to call it friendship. Then isn’t it also too early for him to confess? Probably.

A thunder growls outside and instead of jumping in horror, Mark’s head falls ahead into his hands as a sob breaks out of his mouth. He doesn’t cry, no, he has cried enough because of his mother in the past. It’s just his body shaking with quiet, dry sobs that don’t make tears fall. He’s tired. He’s so _damn_ tired with not a single person to talk his heart out.

Maybe that’s why he ends up speaking to himself. His words get louder as he continues, the crescendo ripping itself out of his throat. Mark’s chest hurts, it hurts _terribly_ and he can’t do anything about it because he’s a coward. A coward that just can’t say what he’s thinking. A coward that _waits_ and screws everything over and over and _over_ again. _Tick, tock. Clock keeps running._

“_Why does she have to do this every single time I get better!?_” Mark’s fingers clench around his hair. “I can’t do this again… I can’t fucking leave again…”

The faint, _faint_ sound of something falling on the ground stops Mark. _No, no. Please no. Please don’t be…_

But who else can it be other than his roommate?

“Mark?” Donghyuck’s voice is so soft that Mark’s heart breaks for the millionth time that day. “Is everything okay?”

Mark has never wanted this much to lie, ever. But it’s Donghyuck, and Mark is tired of hiding the truth. “No. Nothing is…”

A shuffle is all Mark can hear as Donghyuck probably takes his jacket off –is it still raining? It must be- and settles down beside him, Mark doesn’t possess the strength to look at him. “What’s it?”

Mark tenses as Donghyuck lays a hand on his shoulder and regrets it when Donghyuck pulls away as if he touched fire. “I… I can’t…”

“Look at me.”

Fingers loosening, Mark takes a shaky breath as he sits straighter. His lashes flutter and at last meets Donghyuck’s gaze. Once again, he can’t speak- he’s never seen Donghyuck look at him with this much care.

“You can tell me anything,” Donghyuck assures, hand twitching as if he wants to reach out and touch Mark. “You know that, dumbass.”

Mark slides his hand forward to place his fingertips on Donghyuck’s knuckles, sighing in relief when he doesn’t pull back. Just this much of touching is enough to make him shudder. “My mom called. She… wants me to go back to Canada and she… she got my tickets. I’m…”

Even though the sentence is unfinished, its meaning hangs heavy in the air.

“You’re… you’re leaving?” The question falls out of Donghyuck’s lips so low that it’s safe to say it happened by accident.

The thunder outside grows stronger. “She says I can get better education if I stay with her.” It’s a lie and Mark knows it too well. What his mom says is nothing more than a tool for her to insert herself in Mark’s life and control him like a puppet all over again. But what even is holding Mark there in Korea? It’s not like he can say _no_.

Donghyuck’s arms wrap around himself in a protective manner. “And will you… go?” From the small distance between them, Mark clearly sees how Donghyuck’s lower lip is trembling.

“I don’t know,” Mark admits frankly, chest hollow. “I… think I will. I can’t say no to her and there isn’t anything-” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as that’s all it takes for Donghyuck to storm out of the room.

Mark goes stiff. What _is_ Donghyuck even thinking, it’s pouring rain outside- Mark who is used to cold weather was freezing when he was out half an hour ago, Donghyuck who only had a t-shirt and jeans on for all Mark’s memory gives is going to freeze and because he’ll get soaked he’s also going to catch a cold later, meaning Mark will have to stay at home taking care of him.

Two things stop Mark in his tracks. The fact that he can call their apartment _home_ after so long, and that he won’t be there to look after Donghyuck’s idiotic guts two weeks later.

So, Mark follows outside.

It’s the dumbest thing he can do at the moment, he’s aware but what else can he do, let Donghyuck get himself sick out there in the cold? Mark hates to admit this even to himself but maybe, just maybe Donghyuck has grown onto him too much.

Who is he kidding? Mark loves Donghyuck too much to let him go by now.

Mark runs. He runs and runs and runs in the streets as the rain falls onto his bare arms like needles of ice and the wind does no help, his hair sticks onto his forehead and he has to push it back over and over to see as he keeps shivering but still carries on. It takes as if it’s forever but he catches a glimpse of Donghyuck’s ginger brown hair between the trees of the park not so close to their apartment. Every single muscle in Mark’s body is aching and protesting with all their might, even his lungs can’t carry air to his body and his heart is thumping so bad that it’s about to jump out- Mark ignores it all. He runs.

As he runs without noticing anything Donghyuck is still so stupidly fast, something Mark has always been amazed at, though right now it isn’t exactly in favour of him. Mark shouts. “Donghyuck!”

Donghyuck doesn’t stop right away like Mark hoped, but he still slows down enough for Mark to catch up to some extent. “_Hyuck! Wait!_”

“What do you want?!” Donghyuck spits as he stops and turns around so that he and Mark are facing now.

Mark barely catches himself from crashing into Donghyuck. “I… I…”

“Why can’t you leave me alone?” Donghyuck’s voice cracks in middle of his sentence and that’s when Mark realizes that not all of the water lines on his face are from the rain. He’s been crying, that least is obvious from his bloodshot eyes and trembling lower lip. “Why can’t you just let me…”

It takes all of Mark’s strength to not reach forward and push back the damp hair that falls messily on Donghyuck’s forehead. “I was worried about you.”

Donghyuck clenches his jaw. “What even is the point of caring anymore? Haven’t you hated me all this long? I know I was annoying, just because I didn’t fucking know how to show affection and I still don’t. Didn’t you hate me, Mark?”

“I never did,” Mark pleads, his hand balling into a fist because he wants to punch no one other than himself. “And even if I did… things can change.”

“What if they do?” Donghyuck averts his gaze as he bites down onto his lip. “There were so many things I’ve been meaning to say over all this time but I wanted to wait until it was the right time- I didn’t even know when it would be right- I waited all this long, hoping it could change… just maybe- but now there’s not enough time and I still don’t know how I’m going to do this, I need to wait…”

Donghyuck might not, but Mark knows this is the right time.

“Just… say it,” Mark whispers as his hands hold onto Donghyuck’s ones. “Say it before it’s too late. Before we run out of time.”

It hits only then, as Donghyuck’s eyes widen. “You waited too. Right? You did too.”

“I did.” In the background a storm growls loud, and Mark nods with a shiver rolling down his spine. “So, please… say it.”

Donghyuck combs his mess of hair back his forehead with a hand so slowly that it’s like centuries pass in the meanwhile. “I won’t.”

Mark’s shoulders slump. “Hyuck-” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence because one second he’s speaking, and the other Donghyuck has his lips pressed against Mark’s-

-_Donghyuck has his lips pressed against Mark’s_.

_Oh god._

Mark’s eyes jolt open wide. He wants to protest, he wants to protest and push Donghyuck back and forget this ever happened. This isn’t how Mark has imagined it- when has he even imagined that? Well, Mark is also wondering that but he sure did not want their first kiss –_first_ he says as if he knows that others will happen too- to happen this soon and for sure not under these conditions. Not when they’re both soaked in rain and trembling. He wants to wait until it’s right.

_Fuck it,_ Mark thinks then. _I’m tired of waiting._

So, he lets his body welcome Donghyuck’s with his eyes screwing shut. Donghyuck leans against him and Mark accepts it with a soft sigh, the wind is making him shiver and Donghyuck is so _warm_. He’s aware Donghyuck is seeking warmth in his arms, too. It makes Mark want to scream on the very top of his lungs to think that if both of them didn’t act like complete idiots for an entire semester, they could have so many more of this exact moment and actually get to spend time together before- no, Mark can’t give himself the luxury of thinking that now.

Mark tastes salt from Donghyuck’s tears on his lips. There’s nothing he craves more than to pull Donghyuck into his arms, hold him there tightly and not let go, for hours or even days. He wants to just keep Donghyuck close and tell him that everything’s fine, he’s not leaving… he doesn’t want to see Donghyuck cry again. Mark has fallen for his golden laughters and eyes that hold the universe and Donghyuck _deserves_ happiness more than anyone does, at least in Mark’s eyes. He wants to take care of Donghyuck as far as he can go.

Leaving a space of an inch at most between them, Mark pulls away. “Let’s just go home, okay?” He rubs Donghyuck’s arms up and down to give him some warmth and _god_, he really is freezing.

“Home,” Donghyuck repeats with the ghost of a smile that Mark can feel on his own lips. “It’s gonna be too empty for me to be ‘home’.”

And there is the stabbing pain in Mark’s chest again.

Mark shuts down his mind, it’s not the time for that. “Just… I want us to rest.” He takes off his jacket with that. Even though the jean fabric is also soaked by the ongoing rain Mark hopes it can provide the tiniest bit of warmth for the boy.

Donghyuck takes it, his lips twitching into a small smile at last. “Thank you, it’s really fucking cold.”

A chuckle leaves Mark’s lips as he wraps his arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders. “Then, should we leave?”

“No need to hurry, anyway. We’re both wet enough as it is.”

So they take the road back home with small steps as if they’re both hesitant to go back, as if once they step in the house everything’s just going to go back to how they used to be and they’re both scared of that- hell, they’re terrified.

Still, Mark savors every second of the walk. Petrichor tickling at his nostrils, rain steadily beating the streets, sunset between the buildings making everything a shade of gold. Mark takes in all of it and more, he takes in how Donghyuck’s pressed against his side and just how much he wants to keep him there forever. Mark wants to wrap a blanket around them both, then curl up together in it and stay in their own world until everything else fades. The rest of the world can disappear but Mark doesn’t care as long as theirs carry on existing.

It takes Mark every fiber of his will to take his arm off Donghyuck’s shoulders once they end up in front of their apartment that only holds a sad past by now. Mark misses the warmth Donghyuck radiates at that exact second as another wind glides past them. He steals a single gaze at Donghyuck who reaches out for his hand while stepping onto the stairs, unable to stare for too long. Donghyuck tangles their pinkies together with that, not looking at Mark once.

Mark’s free hand is shaking as he closes the door once they enter. He still isn’t ready to let go of Donghyuck’s hand but he has to, doesn’t he? He has to let go and forget any of this ever happened. What even is the point if he remembers, he won’t be there long enough for it to worth something, anything…

Donghyuck spins on his heels to face Mark and he’s trying to hide a shiver for all Mark can see. “I think I’ll… take a shower.”

Mark gives a nod that even he knows is too rigid. “Yeah, you might catch a cold if you don’t.”

“You too,” blurts Donghyuck, eyes hesitating to look up. It takes a few attempts to meet Mark’s pair. “Get in after me.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” Mark shrugs it off with a smile tugging onto the corners of his lips- a fake smile, in fact. “I’ll just dry my hair and… sleep.”

Donghyuck cocks his head aside. “Mark, I’ll push you in myself if you don’t.”

Now that ticks some memories in Mark’s head. It’s fun to call it a memory, it’s barely been a week since then but Mark’s drunk mind wasn’t the best at remembering. Donghyuck taking care of him that well comes off as a fever dream or something from years ago. The line is the same, that for sure, Mark can’t recall the expression on Donghyuck’s face then all clear but it for sure must be a frown with brows forming a straight line.

The one now is nowhere near it. Donghyuck’s lower lips sticks out in a slight pout and his lashes cover his eyes since they’re pointed at the ground. He’s hugging himself too, either for support or warmth- Mark considers it to be both.

(If only Donghyuck was to look up, Mark would notice the worry swirling in his eyes but for that exact reason Donghyuck keeps his gaze down.)

Mark clears his throat. “Alright, you… get in, then.”

Donghyuck jolts in his place as if he was asleep and Mark just shook him awake. “What?... Oh, yeah.”

The sunset it almost done by this point and the lights are still turned off, so all Mark can do as Donghyuck drags his feet to the bathroom is watching his silhouette disappear. A moment later, once the water has started running, Mark realizes he’s just standing there like a statue doing nothing and that it’s dumb, just so dumb. He mentally slaps himself awake, heading into the kitchen.

Donghyuck’s done with the shower in fifteen minutes maximum and so is Mark with making quick ramen for the two of them, leaving some coffee warming up in the machine too. These are all habits that Mark doesn’t have to think about while doing, they just come naturally but this time it’s not the deal. All that keeps his mind busy is how many times Mark will get to do this again. _Two weeks seem long_ _but it’s really just nothing._

Mark expects Donghyuck to come to the kitchen but instead he hears the _click_ of a door closing. It’s fine, isn’t it? Donghyuck has every right to want some privacy. And Mark did tell him to go rest… that doesn’t stop him from frowning at the bowls on the table as he finishes his coffee. Not because he put effort in it and made decent food but Mark wishes Donghyuck ate before he slept. He cares just this much.

Caring or not Mark eats his own food, now disheartened to do so, and places the other bowl into the fridge. He throws the rest of the coffee away knowing Donghyuck won’t drink it anyway since he hates cold coffee. When has Mark even learned all of Donghyuck’s habits? He doesn’t have to think about it to decide, he just knows if Donghyuck likes something or not. He just does.

Thank god Donghyuck didn’t use all of the hot water so it still runs and Mark is able to let his muscles relax under the warmth of it. What can he say, he likes water and after getting soaked under the sharp cold rain a warm shower is like the gentle touch of a lover- Mark barely holds back a snort, since when has he been this cheesy? ‘Gentle touch of a lover’, Mark? Really? Say you want Donghyuck to hold you and go.

Ironic enough, Mark finds himself unable to sleep later.

His mind is too frustrated to start with. If one were to look into Mark’s mind now, they would see mess of thoughts that equal to how a toddler’s room looks like after the kid throws a tantrum and smashes all their toys together. That’s exactly how Mark thinks now, different subjects and thoughts all colliding together and creating turmoil that makes near to no sense. He can’t stop either. He can’t stop thinking about how he’s going to live with his parents and how they’re going to make it living hell for Mark again. How he’s going to have to live without all the awesome friends he made here… without Donghyuck.

Surprising but that’s the part that hurts the most. Mark would have laughed at the thought of missing Donghyuck not too long but just a few months before but here he is now, hugging a pillow close to his chest wishing he was holding onto Donghyuck instead. Donghyuck’s an asshole, that least is true but that’s _Mark’s_ asshole and Mark loves that asshole. That’s it, really. Mark loves Donghyuck even with his undefeatable sarcasm, annoying high pitched speaking, and the playlist of bubblegum pop songs that Mark gets a constant hearing of.

(He still is going to fight Donghyuck if he has to hear Shake It one more time in the next week but whatever.)

The truth is, Mark has no idea what he’s going to do without Donghyuck and that scares him more than anything else does. Like, even worse than Chucky does- Mark first watched that when he was like seven and Chucky’s been one of his worst fears ever since. Him being scared more of this means _a lot_. Mark grew so used of Donghyuck that the annoying boy is a part of him Mark can’t just get rid of.

Whatever the reason is, Mark is standing in front of Donghyuck’s door a few minutes later with his pillow tucked under his arm and his throat dry. His hand hangs in the air hesitating to knock, what if Donghyuck tells him to go away? Mark doesn’t want to embarrass himself further. But what’s the point at giving up now? _He kissed you, dumbass. He likes you too._

Mark knocks with a shaky hand as he clears his throat. “Hyuck..?”

“Door’s open, come in,” says Donghyuck in his perfectly clear, non-sleepy voice and Mark exhales in relief.

“I…” Mark forgets all he wanted to say once he’s inside. Donghyuck’s on the bed with his guitar in his hands, hair all messed up and that stubborn curl sticking out again. That stupid piercing is gone, surprising enough- so Donghyuck does take it out on occasion. God, Mark _loves_ him like this.

Donghyuck looks up with an amused smirk on his lips. “Forgot what you gonna say?”

Mark has to clear his throat again to be able to put together a sentence. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Neither could I.” Pointing at the sheets spread on the bed, Donghyuck shrugs. “Come sit.”

Following Donghyuck’s gesture, Mark flops down onto the empty spot on the bed as his eyes scan the papers. He notices Donghyuck’s messy handwriting on the papers. “Are those yours?”

Donghyuck nods, fingers toying around the strings as he stares blankly at the ground. "Yeah.”

“The ones we searched for at 3 am?” The memory is so distant that it’s ridiculous.

“Yes,” replies Donghyuck again silently.

Mark, not sure what to say, stays quiet- if Donghyuck wanted to say more, he would.

“Why I do this, writing songs, is…” Donghyuck breaks the silence after a minute or so, speaking in his almost inaudible voice. “I was a shy kid. It seems impossible, I know, but until high school I was the quietest kid in class with no friends at all.”

“I understand,” whispers Mark as he draws absent shapes on the sheets with his fingers. “I was the same until I came here.”

Donghyuck chuckles. “Why did you think I’m telling you? I know you understand. Anyway, it took me a good while to get the way I am now, all outgoing and shit you know. But even then it wasn’t so easy talking about my emotions and sometimes when things got too bad, I felt like I was going to explode if I told no one. But I couldn’t. That’s why I began writing my own songs, so even if no one was going to hear it I’d have a way of explaining how I felt.”

“It makes sense.” Mark’s heart breaks so much to imagine Donghyuck that way, silent and feelings bottled up so much that he’s anxious all the time. “So you’re… better now?”

“Mostly.” Donghyuck shrugs with a small smile. “The thing is, I still prefer talking about my feelings with music. And that was why you never heard me sing until that night.”

Mark stops for a second, blinking in a rapid motion. “Oh. So you…”

Donghyuck laughs louder. “Yeah, I couldn’t tell you that I like you so I wrote songs about you. It’s pathetic. That’s… why I hid those sheets.”

“I-it’s not,” Mark manages to say with his tongue so heavy and a blush covering all his face. “It’s… it’s cute, a-actually.”

Donghyuck blushes- _oh god, Donghyuck blushes._ “Oh, you- you think so?…t-thanks. I just… find it embarrassing that I couldn’t confess and instead I wrote you a song… while playing loud ass music so you didn’t hear me.”

The next sentence takes almost all courage Mark has. “Could you… play for me? I didn’t hear much and it’s not like I can remember it.”

That shakes something off Donghyuck as he picks the guitar and places it on his knee properly. “Gladly. I wanted you to hear it, anyway.” And he plays the first chord.

Mark might be gaping as he watches. Donghyuck once he loses himself in his music is a completely different person, all hesitation is gone and he’s focused on what he’s doing. His voice still carries that little bit of uncertainty as if he’s afraid Mark is going to leave but whenever he looks up to meet Mark’s eyes all he comes to is a warm smile and an assuring nod. He grows stronger as the song goes on and by the end, chills are traveling through Mark’s body because of just how powerful Donghyuck’s voice is. It’s honey and sunshine and burns like wildfire. He’s amazing and makes Mark fall in love with him over and over again.

Even with his tan skin and the dim light of the room that comes from Donghyuck’s Iron Man themed nightstand, it’s easy to notice the soft red shade traveling along Donghyuck’s cheeks as he finishes and puts the guitar away. There’s that wayward curl again, brushing against Donghyuck’s brows and before he knows it Mark is reaching to tuck it back in its place.

That’s when their eyes meet and Mark’s face burns all the way again. They’re so close that Mark can smell the fruity scent of Donghyuck’s breath- from the gummies he likes to eat almost all the day. Donghyuck can probably sense Mark’s breath too, did he brush his teeth before going to bed? Come to think of it, he didn’t. Could this get more awkward?

It does, just when Mark catches himself staring at Donghyuck’s lips. Must be because the piercing is gone now, he’s noticing how pink and soft they in fact are. Mark doesn’t even remember if Donghyuck had the lip ring on when they kissed at the park –remembering it wakes the butterflies in Mark’s stomach up- but he’s dying to feel those lips on his ones again. He wants to bring Donghyuck down to the bed with himself, keep their bodies pressed flush and kiss for hours until they pass out from exhaustion. Mark _needs_ it, he needs it so he’ll have something to hold onto when he’s gone.

“Do you know why I came here?” He blurts, prying his eyes away and gazing into Donghyuck’s eyes this time. “I don’t wanna hold back anymore.”

Donghyuck nods slowly, raising his hand until his fingertips caress Mark’s lower lip so tender. “You finally can think, that’s something.”

Mark lets out a chuckle even though his entire body is burning because of that simple of a touch. “Well, I… You know I’ll be gone soon enough. I don’t wanna forget you.”

Since Mark’s arm is loose around Donghyuck’s waist, he feels Donghyuck tensing with so much ease that it hurts. “Why do you have to remind me?”

“Sorry,” whispers Mark after he swallows. It’s hard, but harder for whom? Mark is the one leaving Donghyuck to an empty house and memories lingering in every corner while Mark himself can build up a whole new life. It’s unfair especially to Donghyuck. “I don’t wanna hold back, I wanna live as much as we can until… that. I feel like there’s an hourglass over our heads pouring sand until it’s over, I can see our time running out… I don’t wanna lose all we could have, I don’t wanna look back and regret. I wanna live as much as we can, you get me? So please… let me kiss you? Again..?”

Donghyuck’s eyes empty for a moment as he considers it. “You know what, no.”

Mark’s chest hollows. “Oh, I get it-”

“No, _listen._” Donghyuck covers Mark’s mouth with his fingers, a mischievous glint in his gaze. “I’m not letting you kiss me because it’s a promise that you won’t leave, okay? After I’m sure you’re staying, I will. Until then it’s a nope. Keep it, lover boy.”

Mark breathes out slowly. “Hyuck, I can’t… I have to go back, don’t you understand?” The clock still runs.

“Why, is it because of your parents?” Donghyuck tilts his head aside. “You’re one of the most stubborn people I’ve met and you’re going to let them control your life again? Mark, you’re an adult. They have nothing over you and you’re at the other side of the world.”

Mark averts his gaze again. “I…” _He’s right but I’m still scared._

Donghyuck reaches out to turn Mark’s face to his again, a gentle smile engraved on his. “Look, you aren’t alone anymore. If necessary, you have people to stand up for you- Jaehyun, Johnny, Jungwoo… me. You know damn well I won’t let anyone harm you, so what? Knock that damn hourglass over. Stay here… stay with me.”

“I wanna stay too,” Mark mumbles and presses his forehead to Donghyuck’s. “I can’t leave you… not when I’ve just found you.”

“Then don’t.” Donghyuck plants a small kiss on the tip of Mark’s nose, smiling.

Mark leans in further until he can hug Donghyuck and rest his head against Donghyuck’s chest. It’s another surprise that the heart under his ear is beating just as rapid as his own one. Donghyuck pushes all the paper off the bed to make room for them and lies on his back, dragging Mark down too.

“There we go,” Donghyuck whispers once he’s got Mark between his arms in a comfortable position, lips brushing against Mark’s forehead.

Mark curls to Donghyuck as the brush of Donghyuck’s lips sends a chill down his back. “You make a good pillow.”

“So I’ve been told,” chuckles Donghyuck, trailing his fingers along Mark’s back up and down. “You’re a good heater yourself, I don’t even need a blanket.”

Mark nods, mindlessly reaching out to touch Donghyuck’s free hand. “I don’t either. You’re warmer than the sun itself.”

Donghyuck whines in a joking manner. “I should’ve known you were gonna be the cheesy one, damn it.”

“Get used to it if you want me to stay this much.” Mark peppers kisses on Donghyuck’s chest over his t-shirt that’s too thin for winter for sure, a smile hung on his mouth. “And you’re the bitchy one just as always but I’m not complaining.”

“The thing is,” Donghyuck teases. “I’m bitchy towards anyone. Do you compliment your friends like that too?”

“Maybe I do, how can you know?” Mark bites right back but it’s a weak lie and Donghyuck sees right through it.

“Five minutes ago you were blushing and stuttering when you told me you like me, so?” Donghyuck chuckles and that brief sound is enough to make Mark’s stomach twist in the nicest way possible. “I wasn’t any different either but that’s not our point.”

Mark sighs as he props himself up on one elbow to look at Donghyuck in the eyes. “I don’t know if I wanna punch you or kiss you. Kiss, probably.”

Donghyuck’s lips move into a crooked smile. “I told you no already.”

“What if I promise now?” Mark seeks for a sign in Donghyuck’s face. “To not leave?”

Donghyuck’s silent for an exact three seconds. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Laughing in disbelief, Mark settles back into Donghyuck’s chest. “And you’re so damn stubborn.”

“I’m just doing whatever that’s in my power to not let you go, don’t you get it?” Almost on instinct, Donghyuck’s hands are once again on Mark’s back. “Maybe… let me do it for you?”

“What?” Mark’s brows knit together.

“Talk to your parents.” This is one of the rare times Donghyuck doesn’t sound so certain. “I can tell them off.”

_God, I love him. _“Hyuckie…”

“Don’t ‘Hyuckie’ me!” Mark can’t see Donghyuck’s face from this angle and he doesn’t try, but he hears the crack in Donghyuck’s voice. “You’re not doing anything to get them off yourself, someone has to do it for you and I’ll be glad to.”

Mark traces his fingers down Donghyuck’s chest, biting his lip. “I’ll… think of it.”

“Good.” Donghyuck calms down at last with a heavy sigh. “Now sleep, okay? We’ve had a day long enough.”

Mark nods and the motion makes his head brush against Donghyuck like a cat. “Good night, Hyuckie.”

Donghyuck tangles their fingers together, giving an assuring squeeze. “Night, Mark.”

To be fair, Mark hasn’t slept together with anyone before to compare with but it’s certain that he’s never slept this peacefully either. He’s gone for good the moment he closes his eyes, Donghyuck’s steady heartbeat right under his ear. He’s safe.

Days go by quicker than one could imagine.

Mark fidgets nervously with his phone in the living room, luggage right next to his feet as he gazes up to the clock. Two hours before his flight. He has to leave now, or else he’ll be late. A side of him _wants_ to be late just to earn some more time but it’s wrong. He can’t get rid of what’s inevitable.

Then there’s Donghyuck, rushing inside after coming back from recording in the studio and judging from how his hair is a mess Mark can tell he hurried. “Thank god you’re still here.”

Mark’s mouth twitches into a sad smile. “I wouldn’t leave before I saw you one last time.”

Frowning, Donghyuck’s shoulders slump. “So you won’t let me?”

“I told you, I can’t…”

“You’re just a kid scared of his mom.” Donghyuck shrugs, averting his eyes to avoid Mark’s gaze. “That’s all.”

Mark swallows a knot in his throat. Donghyuck _is_ right, but that doesn’t mean Mark can push everything aside and stand up. He _can’t_. “Hyuck, I…”

Donghyuck chews his bottom lip. “Come on, let me do it. You know I can…”

As if on cue, Mark’s phone rings.

Their eyes meet and Mark’s stomach does a flip like a drunk cheerleader. The shaking of his hand is unstoppable as he reaches and picks it up. “Mom.”

Mrs. Lee chimes on the other side. “Hello, dear. I called to ask if you left- we can’t risk you being late, right?”

_But I don’t wanna go._ Mark can’t say what he wants to. “Y-yeah, I-”

He doesn’t get to say anything. Donghyuck simply yanks the phone out of his hand and starts talking in an English so good that Mark didn’t expect from him.

“Hello, yes…” Donghyuck keeps playing with a strand of his hair as he speaks. “No. Mark isn’t coming. In fact, he doesn’t even want to… me? I’m his roommate and his boyfriend…”

Mark doesn’t hear the rest. His head is way too dizzy to pay attention to anything just because Donghyuck called himself Mark’s boyfriend. Boyfriend. As in romantically. Boy. Friend. Boyfriend. _God, I’m so weak for him…_

When Donghyuck throws himself on Mark and hugs him tighter than ever it feels like centuries passed until then. Mark, not even needing to ask, buries his face into Donghyuck’s neck.

“We did it,” Donghyuck whispers, voice cracking because he’s crying too- wait, Mark is crying? Now that explains the wetness streaming through his cheeks. “We really did it… you’re staying…”

Mark wraps his arms around Donghyuck and they fall onto the couch, laughing hysterically with tears never once ending. Donghyuck’s fingers tangle into Mark’s hair, Mark kissing all over his cheeks and forehead. When Mark lets himself say the three words he wanted to say for months, it’s natural; it doesn’t fall odd. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Donghyuck mumbles right back, staying in Mark’s embrace for the next hours.

The clock stops ticking.

A warm night of the upcoming spring has fallen as Mark stays curled up in front of the long window as he watches the sunset shine warm. They placed a bunch of pillows and blankets around the window some time ago as Donghyuck found it a place where his muse visited often and Mark just liked to nap there, or take a textbook and do some reading (he _is _a nerd enough to enjoy reading textbooks).

That evening he isn’t alone and Donghyuck is there, lying next to Mark with his head on Mark’s lap. Mark doesn’t mind the company. They are a couple of, what, three weeks? But Donghyuck’s presence is so familiar to Mark as if centuries have passed together for them. That, and Mark enjoys having his hands tangled in Donghyuck’s soft hair while he listens to Donghyuck ramble about his latest song. Or while they sit in silence as Mark lets Donghyuck play whatever music he wants to, even if it’s bright pop songs all over again.

Mark tries to pay attention to whatever Donghyuck was saying but as always, he gets distracted. All he can pay attention is the way Donghyuck leans into his touch as he caresses Donghyuck’s hair, his fingers massaging small circles into Donghyuck’s scalp. And his freckles. They’re almost unnoticeable but under the sunlight like this one, Mark with ease sees the tiny spots that create unique constellations on Donghyuck’s nose and cheekbones. Had his eyes always have that amber glow in them, or is that also another doing of the setting sun? Oh, and that stupid little lip ring of his shines.

“You’re staring,” Donghyuck whispers as he reaches to take Mark’s hand in his own. The fingertips of his left hand has grown rough over the hours he spent dancing them over the strings of his guitar, but even that is something Mark adores about Donghyuck by now.

With a smile growing on his face like summer roses, Mark tangles his fingers with Donghyuck’s to take it to his lips and pepper gentle kisses on all his fingers. “I am.”

How Donghyuck lets out a chuckle is more beautiful than all songs on earth at the moment. “Is there something on my face?”

“I just can’t take my eyes off you,” Mark replies. His free hand once again brushes over Donghyuck’s forehead to comb the wayward curls of his backwards.

“God,” Donghyuck laughs with a half faked annoyance. “You aren’t always this cheesy. Did you hit your head somewhere?”

A blush creeps its way to Mark’s ears. “No, that’s how I always am.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes as he sits up with one swift motion, turning around to face Mark and holds Mark’s hand between his own ones. “Right, but I know there’s something on your mind.” It’s now Donghyuck’s turn to caress Mark’s hand.

Mark swallows densely. “N-no, there isn’t.” _That piercing keeps distracting me._

“Mark,” Donghyuck says in a sweet voice and tilts his head to a side, his hair falling towards there. “Don’t try to fool me. Just spill it.”

Mark’s entire face burns like the very depths of hell. “Why can’t I just say it, god…”

Donghyuck pokes Mark’s tummy with a finger, a wicked grin on his lips. _His beautiful lips_. “You’re an embarrassing nerd but you’re _my_ embarrassing nerd. Go ahead.”

“C-can I kiss you?” The question falls so easy, so effortless that Mark exhales in relief as he asks. “You do owe me one.”

The few seconds Donghyuck is silent make Mark’s heart miss a couple of beats. “Was that really all?”

“Yes..?”

“I can’t believe…” Donghyuck shakes his head with a lighter than air laughter before looking up at Mark again with a shine in his eyes. “Of course you can, we already settled everything, you kept your promise… you didn’t even have to ask.”

That’s all it takes for Mark to reach and cup Donghyuck’s cheek gently. He doesn’t lean down closer for a while, stays with his gaze locked on Donghyuck’s lips and his thumb caressing Donghyuck’s cheek just so dearly. He doesn’t know what holds him back, not exactly, regardless it’s Donghyuck to make the first move by closing half the distance between them.

It steals the last bits of Mark’s breath to think how that lip ring is going to feel on his lips as the small metal circle catches sunlight on it. He can stop and just stare at Donghyuck’s face for hours, memorizing every single mole and freckle on it and the curve of his cheekbones and the way his lashes are spread just on them, but Mark wants to do this.

He leans in at last and it sends an electric jolt through his spine to feel Donghyuck’s piercing brush against his lips with all its coldness. Mark hears Donghyuck chuckle, then reach to press his hand against Mark’s nape to pull him closer. Mark keeps his hand on Donghyuck’s waist to hold him, yet can’t stop himself from drawing small shapes over his shirt. Mark takes in every single sigh, soft or sharp, he can get out of Donghyuck with bliss and appreciates how Donghyuck tugs on his hair whenever he does.

Loving Donghyuck has never been easy for Mark and Donghyuck proves it to be correct over and over again; with how his teeth sink into Mark’s bottom lip dearly and pull onto it, then part away to let his laughter of pure mischief escape. It makes Mark want to roll his eyes but he has to admit that it feels good- those damn butterflies flit inside his stomach as if they’re on some energy drink as he thinks of pushing Donghyuck’s head just slightly lower to let Donghyuck kiss his neck. Mark knows Donghyuck well enough to tell that he would have to go out the next day with a line of love bites beaming on his skin, and that Donghyuck would flash a smile that says _he’s mine_ so clear at whoever that dared to stare. God be damned if Mark doesn’t like the idea of it.

Sun has almost completely set down when Donghyuck breaks their kiss at last. It would be a lie to say he pulls away since he’s sitting closer than ever to Mark- even Mark isn’t sure when or how this happened, but Donghyuck is straddling his thighs and not finding it strange or uncomfortable, neither of them do. Mark lets his eyelids fall close, pressing his forehead against Donghyuck’s as they catch their breaths or at least try to. A side of Mark wants to reach and fill the one inch distance between them just to feel Donghyuck’s lips on his again because _god they’re so soft and plump and he can’t get enough of them._ Neither can he of that piercing he once thought was simply stupid.

After a bunch of more breath stealing kisses are shared and it changes into the moonlight to keep the room just dim, Donghyuck makes a small promise supported by his signature grin that Mark can one day get to learn how kissing without the lip ring feels, if only he’s a good boy- he’s teasing and Mark is well aware, but he surely is going to try not to be annoying, anyway.

The next day -the entire night, too- is spent sharing more kisses and more promises. Somewhere in between when Donghyuck’s taking a nap, Mark’s phone rings again. He already deleted the numbers but he recognizes it to be his mother’s. Mark of just a few weeks ago would’ve taken the call but this time he doesn’t. He blocks the number, simple as that. He’s already told them everything that needed to be told, so what’s the deal?

When he comes back to settle down next to Donghyuck in the bed and Donghyuck responds with turning around, eyes still half closed and laughs softly, the weight of the world is finally off Mark’s shoulders.

Time is no longer running out.

**Author's Note:**

> the song donghyuck writes for mark is _['i like you' by day6](https://youtu.be/daoMYJv8i0c)_, it's one of my all time favourites;;
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/wayvrising) ┆ [cc](https://curiouscat.me/wayvrising)


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